LITERATURE REVIEW

[ Impact of delhi metro on daily commutators in the past three years]

By :- srishti verma A6018210027 SEMESTER 3

Title :- New Delhi Metro Indian Marvel

The New Delhi Railway Station (NDLS) is the main railway station in Delhi. New Delhi Station is the second busiest, and one of the largest, in India. It handles over 300 trains each day, from 16 platforms. The New Delhi station holds the record for the largest route interlocking system in the world. The station is about two kilometers north of Connaught Place, in central Delhi. New Delhi Railway Station is served by New Delhi station on the Yellow Line of the Delhi Metro, and will also be the terminus of the Airport Express (metro line) when completed in 2010. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation employees and media personnel are silhouetted at the final tunnelling breakthrough of Qutub Minar and Saket stations in New Delhi June 17, 2009. Delhi Metro engineers used the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) for the first time on soft soil since the NATM was originally conducted in hard rock conditions and tunnel construction in softer soil can be tricky as the soil has to be immediately cemented and strengthened to prevent collapse, a media release said. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation employees (R) take photographs of their colleagues inside a tunnel at the final tunnelling breakthrough of Qutub Minar and Saket stations in New Delhi June 17, 2009. Delhi Metro engineers used the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) for the first time on soft soil since the NATM was originally conducted in hard rock conditions and tunnel construction in softer soil can be tricky as the soil has to be immediately cemented and strengthened to prevent collapse, a media release said. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) employees work on the last-pre cast segments (rings) of the Phase-II underground tunneling project between neighbourhoods Jangpura and Lajpat Nagar in New Delhi on October 12, 2009. Delhi Metro erected the last rings by the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) on the half kilometre stretch, with the ambition for metro lines to cover the entire National Capital Region for the 2010 Commonwealth Games Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) employee walks inside a tunnel on the phase II stretch between Jangpura and Lajpat Nagar stations in New Delhi October 12, 2009. DMRC engineers have used the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) on soft soil since the NATM was originally conducted in hard rock conditions and tunnel construction in softer soil can be tricky as the soil has to be immediately cemented and strengthened to prevent collapse, a media release said. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) employees and journalists enter the Phase-II underground tunneling project between neighbourhoods Jangpura and Lajpat Nagar in New Delhi on October 12, 2009. Delhi Metro erected the last rings by the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) on the half kilometre stretch, with the ambition for metro lines to cover the entire National Capital Region for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Published on August 13th, 2010 Submitted by Punjabiportal Link:- http://www.punjabiportal.com/articles/new-delhi-metro-indian-marvel

Title :- Delhi Metro: Why its success matters so much

The trains arrive with a whisper. The doors slide open and a puff of refrigerated air confronts the city's summertime miasma. A bell dings, the doors close and the train whisks its passengers to the next stop. This sequence of events might seem utterly ordinary on train platforms in Berlin or Bangkok, Stockholm or Singapore. But here in the sweaty heart of India's northernmost megacity, the runaway success of the city's

almost complete subway system, known as the Metro, is a feat bordering on miraculous, and it offers new hope that India's perpetually decrepit urban infrastructure can be dragged into the 21st century. The Delhi Metro manages to defy just about every stereotype of urban India. It is scrupulously clean, impeccably maintained and almost unfailingly punctual. Its cars are the latest models, complete with airconditioning and even power outlets to let commuters charge their mobile phones and laptops. Its signaling and other safety technology is first rate, and the system is among the best in the world, urban transport experts say. Despite cheap fares, less than 20 cents for the shortest ride and about 67 cents for the longest, the system manages to turn an operating profit. In a country where government projects are chronically delayed and budgets are busted, the Metro is on track to finish its 118-mile network by fall, right on schedule and within its $6.55 billion budget. "Metro's performance has been outstanding," said Pronab Sen, India's chief statistician, whose government department keeps track of delays and cost overruns. The Delhi Metro is perhaps the most ambitious urban infrastructure project since India won its independence, and its progress has been closely watched in a country facing a looming urban disaster. Unlike China and other rapidly growing developing countries, India remains predominantly rural. But that is changing as millions of impoverished villagers try to grab a slice of India's rapid but unequally shared economic growth. India has done almost nothing to cope with the influx of villagers into the cities, much less plan for many more, analysts say. A study published last month by the McKinsey Global Institute estimated that by 2030, 590 million Indians would live in cities and 70 percent of India's new jobs would be in cities. India needs $1.2 trillion in infrastructure to accommodate these new arrivals, the report concluded, including 4,600 miles of railways and subways, and real estate equivalent to the entire city of Chicago every year. India's romance with the village, which Mahatma Gandhi believed was the most suitable environment for human development, is partly to blame for the decrepitude of Indian cities. Uniformly, India's cities are a mess. Bangalore, India's high-tech hub, is strangled daily by traffic that has already eroded its image. Mumbai, the commercial capital, is riddled with overcrowded slums. New Delhi, as the capital, is alone among India's largest cities in having control over its own money and destiny. The Metro is the most visible example of that advantage. Much of the credit for its success is usually laid at the feet of one man, Elattuvalapil Sreedharan, a 77-yearold technocrat who serves as the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation's managing director. Mr. Sreedharan has a reputation for fearlessness and incorruptibility. At the Metro he has tried to create the culture of a private start-up business in the most unlikely of petri dishes: the epicenter of India's sprawling bureaucracy. Instead of dry procedural manuals, senior managers are given a copy of the Bhagavad-Gita, one of Hinduism's most important texts. But its significance is not religious, said Anuj Dayal, a spokesman for the Metro. "It is a management text," he said of the book, which is taken from the Mahabharata, an epic poem at the heart of Hindu philosophy. "It is the story of how to motivate an unmotivated person." The Bhagavad-Gita retells a battlefield dialogue between the god Krishna, disguised as a chariot driver, and

Arjuna, a brave but demoralized king. Krishna convinces him that he must do his duty against all odds, and fight even what seems to be an unwinnable war. It is a message that resonates with workers, many of whom came from India's railway system, where bureaucratic procedures hampered even the smallest innovations. But in the Metro even the lowliest employees' ideas are taken seriously, said P. K. Pathak, who runs Metro's training institute. When trainees at the institute, which is packed to the gills to try to churn out enough employees to staff its new lines, suggested staggering lunch times in the cafeteria to ease crowding, Mr. Pathak made the change that very day. "In the railway, change was very difficult," Mr. Pathak said. "In Metro, we are open to all ideas." Some of its changes seem simple but are revolutionary by Indian standards. The Metro has contracted out as much of its work as possible, keeping its payrolls slim and its management structure as simple as possible, officials say. They jettisoned the ubiquitous string-tied paper files, emblematic of India's vast bureaucracy, doing as much work as possible electronically. Some critics of the Metro system say that the project ran roughshod over environmental concerns and landrights issues, two factors that typically cause long delays in infrastructure projects. Others say that it has not integrated fully with the city's vast network of buses, which are much cheaper and cover far more ground. Nor is it clear that it can easily be replicated, since New Delhi is less densely populated than most large Indian cities, making land acquisition easier. No one appreciates the Metro more than riders. Pawan Sharma, a civil servant who commutes from the western suburb of Dwarka, was so impressed with the Metro that he signed up to be a volunteer monitor. With a blue badge affixed to his chest, he patrols the train cars for two hours in the morning and evening, looking for people breaking the rules. He receives no compensation, not even free Metro rides. The Metro's rules are strictly enforced. Spitting, a common habit of Northern Indian men, is forbidden. So is sitting on the floor, a habit from India's often-squalid railways, where passengers without tickets squat on the floor of overcrowded trains. Public urination, another unfortunate habit in a country where there are more cellphones than toilets, is off limits. Eating and drinking are forbidden, too. Such rules chafe against the anything-goes chaos of urban life in India, Mr. Sharma said. "People ask me, 'Why are you bothering me?' " he said on a recent afternoon as he cajoled a young rider to stand up, not squat on the floor. "But I tell them, 'The government has given us this nice facility. Why do you want to spoil it?' " Mr. Sharma said he had to be strict in this crowded, hectic city. "Small things add up to big things," he said. "If you ease up they will start spitting in the trains. They will sit on the floor and play cards. The whole system will become a mess." Indeed, it remains to be seen if the Delhi Metro will remain as well-run as it is today, and whether its lessons can be applied elsewhere. Mr. Sreedharan recently had heart bypass surgery and is on extended medical leave, and he plans to retire once the Metro is completed later this year. Published on:- Friday May 14, 2010, New Delhi

Published by :- Lydia Polgreen, NYT News Service, Link:- http://www.punjabiportal.com/articles/new-delhi-metro-indian-marvel My view point The implementation of the delhi metro has been within the time and budget and envisaged for it. It has all the modern amenties to attract the delhi commutator. It is the boon for the young college going students. Delhi metro is one of the few metro system in the world that operate at a profit without government subsidies.

Titile :- Awareness videos to been shown at Delhi Metro stations

With the accident toll rising every day, the Delhi Metro is now toying with the idea to fix the problem in a more effective way. Soon, videos featuring local artists will be screened at various Metro stations, depicting ways to be alert while travelling. "I think we need to adopt other methods as well and spread awareness to decrease the tally of incidents in future. Though the situation has improved since 2002, when the Metro was launched, but with increasing ridership, the number of accidents has also risen," said Anuj Dayal, spokesperson, DMRC. There has been a spurt recently in cases where people got injured due to overcrowding and pushing shoving of passengers. Two commuters, a girl and a boy, accidentally fell on the tracks and lost their limbs last month. In another case, a BPO employee fell on the tracks due to maddening rush a few days ago. "We will revive various campaigns, distribute pamphlets, rope in volunteers and stage Nukkad nataks (street theatre) to make people aware of the ways to use a Metro and travel comfortably," added Dayal. "Three videos have been shot and the duration of each is more than a minute. These videos have already been telecasted at Kashmere Gate station and Rajiv Chowk Metro station. Soon, it'll be screened in another 50 Metro stations as well," said a Delhi Metro official.

Published on :- Saturday April 17, 2010, New Delhi Published by :- Mid-Day.com

Title :- Passengers can now access details of their lost items on Delhi Metro Website
In an effort to help speedy retrieval of items/belongings lost by passengers while traveling in the Delhi Metro, the DMRC has now started displaying the list of all lost and found articles on its website www.delhimetrorail.com. The details of such items are now being updated on a daily basis under `Lost & Found` section of the website. The list gives all the details like date, time and name of the station where the article(s) was found or handed over to DMRC staff by anyone along with its description.

The bonafide claimant(s) of such items can approach the respective Metro stations as shown in the list within 24 Hours of its display on the website to claim the item. However, if the passengers who are not able to reclaim their item within 24 Hrs from the station may then approach the centralized `Lost & Found` office at Kashmere Gate Metro station. As per practice, DMRC send all items found in Metro stations to Kashmere Gate office after every 24 hours. Thereafter, they are kept in this office till bonafide claimants reclaim them. At present, Delhi Metro`s Lost and Found office is located at Kashmere Gate Metro station. Any person including Delhi Metro employee, security staff, passenger etc. finding any lost article anywhere on Delhi Metro premises or trains can hand over these articles to the concerned Station Manager/Station Controller. All details related to the received articles are registered by the concerned Station Manager/Station Controller. Presently, DMRC gets about 7-10 items reported at Metro stations daily which mostly include clothes, water bottles, tiffins, wrist bands/watches, umbrella etc. Approximately 1000 such items are lying in Kashmere gate office at present which have found no bonafide claimant. link :- http://www.delhimetrorail.com/press_reldetails.aspx?id=mSI25LMzeGMlld

Title :- Is the Delhi Metro a costly mistake?

The task set out for Ravinder Nath Joshi was not an easy one. As finance head of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, he had to shell out Rs 17 lakh (Rs 1.7 million) for every metre that the rail route traversed -- and it traversed many thousands of metres. The total bill for the 60-odd km of the Metro is over Rs 10,500 crore* (@ Rs 175 crore per km). That is enough money to purchase 10 full-bodied Boeing 747s. There are, of course, those who believe the Metro is no less than a plane, albeit a low-cost carrier (just Rs 6 for a short journey) -- and the swanky stations and uniformed service personnel do give the illusion of an airport, actually. Once you walk through the automated gates, heck, it even seems better than most of our crowded airports. That's the good part of the story of the Metro, which carries 4.5 lakh (Rs 450,000) passengers per day. Not a bad number by itself, but a number that can be blinked away when you juxtapose it with Delhi's total population of 14 million, and growing. The "ridership" -- a term preferred by the Metro men -- is also far below the initial projections made (over 20 lakh -- Rs 2 million -- passengers per day). Looking at passenger carrying capacities (given that this can go up or down depending on the frequency on which the Metro runs), the current ridership numbers are still less than half of what the Metro is configured for. "Ridership takes time to stabilise," says an unfazed Joshi. He also cites delayed development projects (some by the Delhi Development Authority) and the lack of feeder buses, which have impacted ridership, pretty severely actually. Passengers using the Metro make up just about a fifth of the numbers projected initially. There is also the sobering experience of the 16 km Kolkata [ Images ] Metro , where ridership is limited to 10 per cent of capacity. What if we could swank up the buses, give them a dedicated corridor and graduate them from just providing

a feeder service to the core service itself? This is what the Bus Rapid Transit Systems (BRTS) are about, and they are successfully running in emerging countries like Brazil [ Images ] (Curitiba) and Colombia (Bogota). The sweetener in the BRTS story clearly is the price. At an investment of Rs 10-15 crore (Rs 100-150 million) for every kilometre (a tenth of the Metro's cost), the roads and aesthetics of road transport in Delhi could be totally refurbished. "BRTS brings the underground overground," says Nasser Munjee, former managing director and CEO of infrastructure financing company IDFC [ Get Quote ] who had pushed for a "simpler cost-effective solution" (read high speed bus system) during his stint there. It would also touch more Delhiites than the 3-odd per cent that the Metro has managed. Munjee is not the only one rooting for BRTS. IIT Delhi's [ Images ] well-known professor Dinesh Mohan, who leads the institute's Transportation Research and Injury Prevention Programme (TRIPP), is another. The khadi-clad academician brushes aside the Metro as an "expensive mistake", citing its poor ridership numbers. According to his research, metros work in cities with one central business district, which takes in a large number of people in the morning and spews them out at the day's end. Typical examples -- New York, Tokyo, London [ Images ]. "Delhi has multiple business districts and is not suited to a metro system," he says, punching holes in the business case for the Metro. He is also miffed at the blind eye that transport planners have turned to the profile of the city's -- and the country's -- commuters. "Fifty per cent of the people in the city walk or bicycle to work. We don't talk about them at all," he laments. (And rightly so. Try being a pedestrian one day and see if you can cross a busy road.) Another argument that he puts forth in support of the BRTS is the cost of travel. Since a significant segment of the population is using two-wheelers that run at less than Re 1 per km, a good public transport system will have to be competitive with this rate to wean them away from their own transport. "Can the capital-intensive Metro do this?" he asks. Basic economics is also a reason for the problem of poor usage being faced by the Kolkata Metro. Subsidised transport (read trams) eats into traffic that could have gone the Metro way. "In Kolkata, people choose what suits their pocket -- the cheapest, most subsidised means of transport," says Jayesh Desai, head of the infrastructure group at Ernst & Young. The professor has chalked out a plan (see graphic) which divides Delhi's roads to give exclusive way to non-motorised vehicles, buses and motorised vehicles. The first leg of the 18-km stretch from Ambedkar Nagar to ISBT should be coming up shortly, if Joshi and his colleagues at Delhi Metro don't butt in. Joshi may not have impressive numbers as far as passengers are concerned, but he is making operating profits. Ticket collections for 2005-06 are Rs 110 crore, and these are projected to more than double to Rs 250 crore by the end of next year, even though no new track will come up during this period. That is not bad at all. And when you are being toasted by the whole city (and every other VIP from overseas), it is the perfect time to gun for the whole city. Actually, within 500 metres of the residence of every Delhiite, as per the gritty managing director of Metro Rail, E Sreedharan. The argument for extending the Metro network is similar to that of the phone network. More lines equal more usage. And Delhi has proved that it can be cost-effective in construction (Rs 175 crore per km vs Rs 250 crore for the upcoming Dubai [ Images ] Metro). And why not plan for the future? "A city of this size (and growing) cannot be managed by anything other than the Metro, at least on the main arterial routes," says Akhileshwar Sahay, president-transport at infrastructure consultancy Feedback Ventures. He also makes a case for a Metro in other congested cities like Mumbai [ Images ], Bangalore and Hyderabad.

Delhi's neighbouring states have put in requests to link the Metro with satellite towns Gurgaon and Noida. Apparently, moneybags are waiting for investment opportunities in this sector. "It is a myth that money is a constraint," says Sahay. It is also presumed that money would not be such a constraint if Metro projects can be taken up under the much-touted public-private partnership (PPP) umbrella. PPP projects typically take in private money to deliver a public good. The government's financial exposure to such projects is limited to viability gap funding. However, with large projects like the Metro, the viability gap funding tends to make huge demands on the state exchequer. Take the proposed 15 km Mumbai Metro (Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar), where the viability gap funding is likely to be more than Rs 1,000 crore. At the end of the day, the choice of best transport for a city is decided by the state government, taking into account its financial standing (what capital subsidy and ticket subsidy support it can provide), and by its allocation priorities (whether it prefers to fund transport, hospitals or schools). "It is a hugely political question," agrees IDFC's director Anupam Srivastava. A thought which reverberates somewhat in Joshi's third floor cabin at Lodhi Road's NBCC Place. "This is a social project," he declares nonchalantly. Metro projects around the world are "not" constructed on a financial returns basis, he informs, but the economic rate of return (which factors in the public benefit of a project). So let's admit it. There are social benefits to such projects. There are also more smiling faces in the Metro than you can ever dream of on the congested roads of Delhi, where the city's denizens glare at each other as they try to grab road space. But it is also true that there could be another transport solution which would make travellers equally, if not more, comfortable. "Why can't we allow an alternate experiment to be tried?"asks Munjee. A few moments later he mumbles the answer to the question -- an answer we are all aware of. "Everyone loves big contracts. They can cream big contracts," he says. Words of truth which are rarely uttered. Not that the state government has no plans to try out other systems. A few days ago, the minister of state for urban development, Ajay Maken [ Images ], informed the lower house of Parliament that the Delhi government has planned a public transport network that includes the 115 km of the Metro, a 294 km corridor for a high capacity bus system, 74 km of elevated light rail transit system, and 48 km of elevated monorail. This is to be implemented over the next 15 years. The apprehension among some quarters is that the successful run of the Metro could end up cannibalising the other options. That should not happen. Remember, the Metro costs a bomb -- or rather, a few planes. Let's try a fancy bus ride instead. The metro sequel: lower costs, lower fares The next Metro line in the city will be 10-15 per cent cheaper than the Rs 175 crore per km that it averaged in Phase I (Rs 110 crore per km overground and Rs 280 crore per km underground) through a conscious policy of "indigenisation" being followed by Delhi Metro. Add the efficiency gains that will come from doing things the second time around, and one can expect that to reflect somewhat at the ticket counter in the form of lower-priced tickets. For other cities opting for the Metro, the cost is likely to be lower than Delhi simply because land acquisition will be cheaper in aspiring metros and tier II cities. Good points, but somebody still needs to answer the moot question: Is the Metro essential, or can a high capacity bus fleet deliver better returns? Published on :- April 03, 2006 Time :-11:54 IST Link:- http://www.rediff.com/money/2006/apr/03metro.htm

Title :- 40 Percent of Delhi Metro Third Phase will be underground

The third phase of the Delhi Metro project will see a record number of underground corridors, according to news reports. The third phase of the project will have as many as 28 underground stations. Phase- III of the project will see 41.044 km long underground corridor being built. Interestingly the total length of underground corridor that were built during the projects first two phases is 48.06 km. The length of the underground phases is what will present another challenge to the team at Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). According to experts, the decision to have a lengthier underground carrier has been taken in order to ensure that there is minimal disturbance to traffic. link:- http://www.masterbuilder.co.in/Article/40-Percent-of-Delhi-Metro-Third-Phase-will-beunderground.html

Title :- Delhi Metro plan is incomplete & defective

The city has been abuzz over the last few months over the vexed issue of the Pune metro. The question whether the city needs to do a cut and paste job of the elevated Delhi metro system or actually go for an underground metro system has been subject of much discussion and debate. Prabhakar Karandikar (IAS), former divisional commissioner of Pune and presently a resident of Pune tells Rahul Chandawarkar why he thinks the Delhi Metro plan is flawed. What do you think of the DMRC metro plan? I am not at all happy with the DMRC metro plan. It is incomplete and defective. The plan is flawed because the consultant and the contractor for the Pune metro plan will be the same entity, namely DMRC. This is incorrect. Ideally, a neutral consultant should carry out the feasibility study and somebody else should carry out the execution. Related Results Delhi Metro Rail Corporation - Brief Article Alstom Transport Ltd - INDIA - contracts for new metro system in Delhi, India... Delhi Metro Rail Corporation - INDIA - contract - Alcatel CGA Transport -... Timken Co - Equipment - Brief Article Delhi Metro website to have list of lost items [Delhi] What should ideally be done in Pune? To begin with, there should be an integrated mobility plan for the entire Pune metropolitan region which should cover the cantonment boards and both the civic bodies, namely, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). Ideally, the bus transport system, namely, the PMPML and the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) should be first beefed up and made efficient. For the mass rapid transport system (MRTS), which is now the metro, a pre-feasibility study must first be carried out by the neutral consultant other than DMRC. This should be followed by an economic feasibility study, a detailed project report and finally the execution. Do you have any suggestions? Yes, I feel given Pune's narrow roads, it is worth exploring the monorail option also. It is a good idea to explore an elevated monorail system on both sides of the Mutha river. Similarly, the routes along the large nalas of the city, like the Nagzari could also be used for a monorail system. By using the space next to the river and the nalas, we can do away with land acquisition and digging worries. Of course, this option would need to be studied by an expert consultant. What kind of environmental damage do you think the proposed, elevated metro plan will cause in Pune? The reason, the DMRC report is flawed because little attention has been paid to writing a comprehensive, environmental impact assessment (EIA) report. The EIA leads to the environment management plan (EMP).

The DMRC has done a perfunctory job of the EIA. However, I am not in a position to comment on the exact environmental damage. What do you think will happen in Wednesday's Pune Municipal Corporation general body meeting? There are clear indications that the PMC general body will vote in favour of the elevated, Pune metro plan as prescribed by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). Of course, the proposal will be sent to the state, urban develop-ment department (UDD) which will scrutinise it. The UDD has promised to hold a public hearing on the issue.

Published on :-Jun 23, 2010 Publshied by :- Chandawarkar, Rahul Source :- , TheDNA : Daily News & Analysis; Mumbai link:- http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/dna-daily-news-analysismumbai/mi_8111/is_20100623/delhi-metro-plan-incomplete-defective/ai_n54188110/

Title :-Delhi Metro Delights

Sunday in New Delhi and all on my own. What to do? Getting around at street level is more than my fragile sensibilities can handle today, but I would like to see a bit of the city. Fortunately, there is the New Delhi Metro. With four lines spreading its arms high above the dust and clamour, it is not only the best way to get around, but a great way to see this sprawling metropolis of 13 million souls. Left to my own devices, it seems like a simple way of getting around the city. It turns out to be a true delight. Its a pleasant five minute stroll from my hotel to the nearest station, Rajendra Place. I climb the stairs to Delhis rooftop sidewalk, where for 100 Rupees and a 50 Rupee refundable deposit, I purchase a one-day Smart Card that gives me unlimited travel. Delhi is my oyster for the day. First stop the Metro Museum, which turns out to be a small but well done exhibition. In half an hour I am a font of knowledge on the history, construction, operation, management and future prospects of one of the worlds 120 metro systems. For 200 Rupees I buy the book, Delhi Metro: A Journey to Remember. Its a great souvenir and a welcome collection to my coffee table books.Since its already past noon and Im hungry, I scope out the stations eateries at Rajiv Chowk Station. These range from counter service kiosks offering drinks and carry away snacks to bakery shops and fast food restaurants. Since Ive already been on my feet long enough to want to sit down, I go for a not too crowded little bistro suggesting I can fuel n go. Exactly what I had in mind. Once I figure out the ordering system, the service is decent and my tray of rice and beans passably good. Fully fuelled and armed with even more knowledge gleaned from my Journey to Remember book, I head for Kashmere Gate where I can change to the Red Line. The first leg of the journey to Dilshad Garden, eastern terminus of the Red Line, is underground. A perfect opportunity to check out my fellow riders. There are lots of young children on board and for them the journey is clearly a joy. They love the motion and the novelty and from the giggles and shrieks of joy this is obviously a high point in their day.After Shastri Park, the train shoots out of the tunnel across an inky black stretch of the Yamuna River, its banks fringed with garden plots. From the window, Seelampur is a jumble of teetering two-story raw brick houses. From there the housing standard goes up a notch or two all the way to Dilshad Garden. I get off at the terminus and from my birds eye view high above the street, I watch heavily laden buses and trucks roaring off eastward. On the way back, I cant resist getting off at Seelampur for a closer look at those vibrant stacks of raw red bricks festooned with laundry and teeming with life. I cautiously skirt the edge and then dive into one of the wider looking alleys lined with neat, well kept houses painted in blotches of apple green and neon orange.

There are goats lounging in the doorways like house pets. People are cooking, sweeping, bathing and generally too busy and too surprised to react to this sudden Westerner lumbering through their community.All Asian megacities are a study in contrasts and the Red Line is no exception. West from Kashmere Gate is a window into how the other half lives. From the air conditioned comfort of my carriage, I look down on tree-lined boulevards, well tended parks and apartment blocks with plants hanging from balconies. I can imagine living in neighbourhoods like these. An inveterate shopper, I must explore what lies below those tempting billboards. Sadly, this being a Sunday, most of the shops are closed, but I take the opportunity to fortify myself with a cup of coffee and a brownie at a coffee shop. From Netaji Subash Place to the terminus at Rithala is mostly new development. Judging from the depth of the craters I can look into, new islands of commerce are rising up in the west. But the sun is getting low in the sky and I am tiring. Time to head for home. The cars are filling up now and by the time I get to back to Rajiv Chowk its standing room only. While nowhere near the full crush of a weekday peak time, I begin to learn the rudiments of getting on and off a busy Delhi Metro. There is only one rule. Push. Firmly but gently. None of these even-tempered Delhites seem to take it personally. Once on board, everyone jostles into place and politely ignores the warm press of bodies.Back at my hotel, weary and footsore, I decide that I am a committed Delhi straphanger. What a deal! A days entertainment and more insight into Delhi than any guided bus tour could ever offer, all for 100 Rupees. I think I will try the Blue Line on my next trip.

Published on :- February 10, 2011 Source :- http://www.redplough.com/articles/websites/delhi-metro-delights

Title :- Women commandos and sniffer dogs for Delhi Metro

New Delhi: Now women commandos, with AK-47 rifles and sniffer canines, will be keeping a close vigil on Metro commuters in the national capital. Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is giving training to women commandos to ensure security of metro commuters. About 10 sniffer dogs are also being trained.The jawans will be a part of quick reaction teams (QRTs) in which women in uniform will be on mobile duty in Metro trains during the Commonwealth Games in October, said a senior CISF official. Our women commanders undergo all kinds of training that male commandos under- go and are equally efficient. This is an initiative taken by the CISF in order to cater to the increased demand of sniffer dogs for its Bomb Detection Squads in the Delhi Metro for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games," Rohit Katiyar, CISF spokesperson said. In January, we have procured a total of 10 best pedigree pubs of Labrador, Cocker Spaniel and German Shepherd breeds, he added. These are now undergoing training in sniffing and detect- ing explosives, narcotics and other chemicals at the CISF Dog Breeding and Training Centre at Indirapuram in Ghaziabad. These dogs will be deployed by midSeptember, a fortnight before the games," he added. We are going to increase the strength of our QRTs before the Games and at the same time, introduce 10

new well-trained sniffer dogs, in order to ensure better security of metro com- muters during the Commonwealth Games," the official said. A Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) spokesperson said that 11 sniffer dogs -- six from the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and five from the CISF -- will be deployed in the dedicated dog squad for Delhi Metro. "The new dogs, which are undergoing training, were procured by the CISF itself," the spokesman said Publsihed on :- Wednesday, May 19, 2010 Published by :- Indian Weekender news desk Link :- http://www.indianweekender.co.nz/Pages/ArticleDetails/10/1125/India/Women-commandos-andsniffer-dogs-for-Delhi-Metro

Title :- Delhi Metro to dig deeper for tunnels in third phase

Delhi Metro, known for its engineering marvel, is set to dig deeper for its third phase lines which at some places require constructing tunnels under the existing ones, an official said Wednesday. "Delhi Metro tunnels are usually built at a depth of 20 metres. As we are planning to construct an underground tunnel below a tunnel, we will be digging around 40 metres below ground level," said Delhi Metro spokesperson Anuj Dayal. Tests and technical surveys were being conducted to meet the new engineering challenge, he said. Dayal said in the third phase three tunnels will pass under four existing underground metro stretches. The third phase of the project was approved by the Delhi government April 11. The new lines in the third phase will link Mukundpur with Yamuna Vihar and Janakpuri West with Noida Botanical Garden in the suburban Noida in Uttar Pradesh. Three existing routes will be extended: The Badarpur-Central Secretariat line up to Kashmere Gate, the HUDA City Centre in Gurgaon-Jahangirpuri line up to Badli, and the Dwarka-Noida line up to Najafgarh. The underground stretch from Sarojini Nagar to INA Market on the Mukundpur-Yamuna Vihar corridor will pass under the existing underground section of the Jahangirpur-HUDA City Centre line at INA. It will have nine stations, an official said. The tunnel from domestic airport (terminal two) to Kalkaji on the Janakpuri West-Noida Botanical Garden corridor will pass under the existing underground section of the Airport Express link. It will have 12 stations. An underground stretch from Mandi House to ITO on the Central Secretariat-Kashmere Gate corridor will pass under the existing tunnel of the Noida-Dwarka corridor at Mandi House. It will have seven stations. "Delhi Metro has already finalised the tenders for the construction of Mandi House and Janpath stations on the Central Secretariat-Kashmere Gate corridor," an official said. "The decision to construct more underground corridors was taken this time to ensure that the construction work causes minimum inconvenience to people," Dayal said. According to officials, the first phase of Delhi Metro had 13.17 km of underground stretch. The second phase had 34.89 km. In the third phase, a total of 108 km network will be constructed, and of this about 40 percent or 41 km would be underground. As of now, Delhi Metro has 31 underground stations. The third phase will have 28 underground stations. Published on :- Wed, Jun 15 2011 Time :- 19:36 IST Source :- http://www.prokerala.com/news/articles/a228179.html

Title :- Delhi Metro Smart Card-cum-Key chain

Despite all the recent bad press about accidents and safety lapses, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) continues to surprise with its smaller, less-than-train-size innovations. Over the last few weeks the DMRC has unveiled a photo exhibition, super-detailed models of DMRC coaches costing Rs10,000 each, and identity cards for officials authorized to charge fines. The last due to instances of arguments between the staff and offenders who objected to their imposing fines without any authority proof. The sternly named Authorization For Penalty card has a spiffy DMRC logo inside in brass. Right key: The new DMRC smart card. Ramesh Pathania / Mint But what Lounge really loves are the new DMRC smart card-cum-key chains. According to a statement on the DMRC website, the key chain was particularly targeted at consumers who drove up to Metro stations and parked their vehicles there. The new card, which works exactly like the old one, is just about half the size, but built of the same unbreakable plastic and acrylic. There is a ring at one end for keys and the cards corners are rounded, the edges tapered, to prevent injuries. The new card costs Rs50, and you can exchange your boring uni-functional old one for the multifunctional new one, but not the other way round.

Title :- Delhi Metro puts Phase III on track, first trains to roll by 2015
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New Delhi Work on Delhi Metros Phase III project has finally taken off, with the first upcoming corridor from Central Secretariat to Kashmere Gate being expedited in parts and targeted for a mid-2015 completion. Construction work on the stretch from Central Secretariat to Mandi House has already begun while tenders for the stretch from Mandi House to Jama Masjid has been floated and the rest expected to be floated soon. Senior officials said construction of the shaft, where the tunnel boring machine (TBMs) is lowered, has already begun at Chelmsford Road and civil work, such as construction of the station building, will begin in September at Janpath. The tunneling work, however, will take a little more time and is most likely to begin by November. The designs of the stations between Central Secretariat to Mandi House is in an advanced stage, the official said. Tenders for design and construction of tunnel through Shield Tunnel Boring Machines and construction of ITO, Delhi Gate and Jama Masjid stations by cut and cover method, between Mandi House and Jama Masjid, has already been floated with the last date for submission on October 25. The completion period for the project, estimated at Rs 720 crore, is fixed at 42 months from the award of contract. Officials said it will take at least over a month to award the contract and another two months for the contractor to mobilise men and material. Since the entire stretch is underground, construction work will be a little more time consuming. It takes about six months to construct the shaft, following which the tunneling process is initiated, the official said. The tenders for the remaining stretch from Jama Masjid to Kashmere Gate is nearly final and should be floated any time now. The entire corridor is targeted for completion by mid-2015, he said.

The line has received all the necessary approvals such as the Delhi government and the Empowered Group of Ministers nod. It now awaits a final go-ahead from the National Monument Authority, a body set up by the Ministry of Culture following the amendment of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 2010. The NMAs approval is mandatory as construction on this corridor falls within the prohibited, 100-metres from the monument, and regulated, 300-metres from the monument, zones. The cost of civil works on the line is approximately Rs 1,900 crore, while the entire corridor is estimated to cost Rs 3,900 crore

Published on :-Aug30,2011 Time :- 0311 hrs IST published by:- Sweta Dutta link :- http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/delhi-metro-puts-phase-iii-on-track-first-trains-to-rollby-2015/839081/

Title :- Delhi Metro ridership reaches 2 million

The Delhi Metro achieved a milestone in the second week of August by carrying over 2 million passengers in one day.It surpasses its previous record of 1.8 million passengers who travelled on the Metro at the start of August. The 187 km long metro rail service network includes the Airport Express service. The line has 143 Metro stations and is well connected to the Delhi- National Capital Region (NCR). For the past few months, the Delhi Metro has been registering an increased ridership. The average daily ridership averaged at 1.4 million in May 2011 and jumped to 1.5 million in June 2011, the Delhi Metro Rail Corp said in a statement. According to DMRCs estimates, the achievement is well ahead of their projected target period. The operating company is in the process of converting all of its four coach trains into six coach ones and is also planning to buy new trains. The DMRC has set aside close to $6 billion for purchasing new coaches in the next few years. With Phase-III of the network set to cover 118 kilometers including Fardiabad, the Delhi Metro network will become 308 kilometers by 2016 and is expected to carry 4 million passengers a day. Published on :-August 22, 2011 Published by :- Jagdish-Kumar, Source:- Metros, Ridership Statistics Link :-http://www.rail.co/2011/08/22/delhi-metro-ridership-reaches-2-million/ My view point Planned extentions of the delhi metro network collecting several hospitals tourist attractions and major industrial estates has led to rising number of passengers and resulting in increased revenue. Further

expansion of metro is proposed to be recovered from internal revenue through operation and property development.

Title :- Delhi Metro receives carbon credits for regenerative braking

Bombardier Transportations technologies are helping Delhi Metro to achieve a world-first linked to environmental performance by becoming the first railway project in the world to receive valuable carbon credits for regenerative braking. The Bombardier Movia metro trains used by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) incorporate the advanced Bombardier MITRAC propulsion system and regenerative braking, which can generate up to 30% in energy savings. This environmental technology has contributed to Delhi Metro earning more than 20 million Indian Rupees the equivalent of $446,000 US (308,000 euro) under a United Nations-backed initiative to combat climate change. Within the United Nations Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has claimed Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) normally referred to as carbon credits. The CDM enables emission-reduction projects to earn carbon credits, each equivalent to one tonne of CO2. These carbon credits can then be traded and sold, thereby stimulating sustainable development and emission reductions. Through the sale of carbon credits over two years as part of the scheme, Delhi Metro has received the cumulative remuneration of 20 million Indian rupees. The initiative has also led Delhi Metro to become the first railway project based on regenerative braking to be registered by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Mr. Anuj Daihal, Chief Public Relations Officer of DMRC said: We are extremely proud of our achievement in improving the energy efficiency of our metro system and becoming the first railway project to benefit from this important UN initiative relating to climate change. Bombardier Transportation has supported us by supplying modern, highly energy-efficient trains, which are also greatly appreciated by the travelling public for their comfort and convenience. He added: The money earned from the sale of carbon credits will be used to offset the investment and operation costs in the implementation of our extensive network development, as well as furthering our efforts in combating climate change. As part of a major expansion of the Delhi metro rail network, Bombardier Transportation is supplying 538 MOVIA metro cars to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, with more than 410 already in revenue service. From its first phase completion in 2002, the Delhi metro network has grown to six lines covering 130 stations, serving not only the Delhi area but also the neighbouring areas of Gurgaon and Noida where a large number of Delhis population either live or work. In addition to a reduction in pollution and traffic levels, the travel time for most Delhi commuters has been eased by an average of 75 per cent.

Published on :- June 6, 2011 Environment Published By :- Rail.co Administrator Link :- http://www.rail.co/2011/06/06/delhi-metro-receives-carbon-credits-for-regenerative-braking/ My view point Most of the metro stations on the blue line conduct rainwater harvesting as an environment protection measures. The metro has been promoted as an intergral part of community infrastructure and community artwork depicting the local of life has been put on display at stations. Such enviromental friendly initiative

will help in improving the environment by reducing the pollution in the environment, since many individual would use metro for travelling by avoiding the usage of cars, bus rickshaws etc and would thus keep the eco system balanced.

Title :- Delhi Metro:a Boon For Delhities

There is a huge problems of traffic in delhi.So in order to reduce it a mass rapid tranportation service for Delhi emerged as Delhi Metro.It proves to be a boon for delhities. Delhi is one of the busiest city in the world.Being the capital of India it becomes an attraction centre for the foreigners as well as for the rest Indian states.Thus a lot of crowd visits delhi resulting huge traffic problems.But now there is some relief for delhities i.e. Delhi metro which comes out as a boon for delhities.The metro serves the people of delhi,noida and Gurgaon.It has a network of five lines of nearky 125km with a no. of 107 working stations of which 17 are built underground. All of these network are operated by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.This service operates 100 trains daily in the time interval from 6 am in the morning to 11 pm in the night within an interval frequency of 3 to 4.5 minutes. It had took a really a long time to built this network.It's planning started in 1984 and after a long time survey and approval the construction started in 1998.On 24 Dec 2002 Sri Atal Behari Vajpayee former Prime Minister of India launched its first service.This metro project is planned in four phases of which second phase is undergoing.The first phase involves a network of 65.11 km which is already completed on 27 october 2006.The second phase involves 128 km network and construction of 79 stations by 2010.The third and fourth construction are planned to be completed by 2015 and 2021 respectively.Its extensions are planned to Badli,Faridabad and Ghaziabad. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has given the customers choice a big priority.Many stations are provided with ATMs,food outlets,cafes and convenience stores.To provide security to passengers 3500 personnel of Central Industrial Security Force are deployed.In case of fare it varies in the range of Rs. 8 to Rs. 30 dependng upon different locations.This low cost service provided a big relief to the daily job workers to maintain their monthly budget from high cost of auto-rickshaws. In 2007 Delhi metro claimed one of only five metros of the world to operate at profit without any government subsidies.The Delhi Metro has won awards for environmentally friendly practices from organisations including the United Nations and the International Organization for Standardization, becoming the first metro in the world to be ISO 14001 certified for environmentally friendly construction.This service really sprouts out as a boon for delhities and also for them too who visits delhi.It is acting as a developing identity of India. Published on :- Aug 1st, 2010 Published by :- tavleen singh link :- http://www.bukisa.com/articles/326926_delhi-metroa-boon-for-delhities

Title :- Delhi Metro keeps up with Commonwealth Games rush

Notwithstanding the Commonwealth Games rush, Delhi Metro maintained a record punctuality of 99.88 per cent during the first week of the sporting extravaganza making over 2800 trips daily. Delhi Metro, which provides connectivity to almost all the 11 stadia that host the Games, is running trains at an average frequency of 2.5 minutes starting October 3, when the Commonwealth Games began in the capital. Though there were delays due to technical glitches during the past one week, Metro trains registered punctuality of 99.98 per cent during the week beginning October 3 and ending October 9. This means out of the 19656 trips the 180-odd Metro trains made during the past week, only 24 trips were affected, a DMRC spokesman said. The DMRC usually registers a punctuality rate of over 99 per cent. The organisation regularly conducts punctuality audits every three months. During the past one week, Metro trains made 2808 trips everyday traversing 58,000 kms, the spokesman said. The DMRC had also deployed technical experts from South Korea and Germany to ensure that no technical glitch takes place during the Games. The engineers are stationed at important stations, particularly on the Badarpur line which provides connectivity to the main Games venue of Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.Metro also registered additional ridership during the past one week as majority of the people going to stadia opted for the new age transport system to reach the venues. People, who had bought CWG tickets, can take a free ride on the Metro. Pusblished on :- Sunday, 10 October 2010 link :- http://commonwealthdelhi2010.blogspot.com/2010/10/delhi-metro-keeps-up-withcommonwealth.html

Title :- Delhi Metro frequency to rise to 2.5 mins

Trains at an average frequency of 2.5 minutes, deployment of engineers from Germany and South Korea to ensure no technical glitches take place and information desks to help commuters and tourists these are some of the highlights of the Delhi Metros Commonwealth Games Action Plan that comes into effect from tomorrow. As the much-awaited Games begin tomorrow, Metro trains on the Central Secretariat-Badarpur corridor, which will be operational from tomorrow morning, will run at a frequency of 2.25 minutes, as it provides connectivity to the main CWG venue, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. With traffic police advising people to take Metro during the Games, Metro will run trains at a frequency of 3.40 minutes on Line 1 (Rithala-Rohini), Line 2 Central Secretariat to Gurgaon (2.30 min), Line 3 Dwarka Sec 9-

Noida City Centre (2.44 min), Line 6 Central Secretariat-Badarpur (2.25 min) and Line 5 Mundka-Indelok (5.11 min). Currently, the average frequency is 3.5 minutes to four minutes. Metro will run a total of 181 trains 133 broad gauge and 48 standard gauge during the Games and will also deploy engineers from Germany and South Korea to ensure that there are no problems. To control the crowd, about 250 Scouts and Guides and 153 Bangalore Metro trainees will be deployed at various stations. Volunteers of the Metro Citizens Forum had also been instructed to be more vigilant and devote their time at the stations whenever possible, a DMRC spokesman said. One Metro official of the grade of Assistant Station Manager would be posted at the control room of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee for better liaison and coordination, he said.

Published on :- October 03, 2010, Time :- 0:53 IST Published by :- Press Trust Of India / New Delhi link- http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/delhi-metro-frequency-to-rise-to-25-mins/410002/

Title :- Metro makes major impact in Delhi

Saves 33,000 tonnes of fuel; prevents creation of 2,275 tonnes of poisonous gas NEW DELHI: According to a new study of Delhi Metro railway, the much talked about mode of transportation has not just made travelling easy and comfortable but also made significant environmental and social impact on the Capital. Conducted by the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), the study reveals that the Metro railway has helped save 33,000 tonnes of fuel and prevented creation of over 2,275 tonnes of poisonous gases. Also, it has helped commuters in the city save 66 minutes every day on an average and reduced the daily vehicle demand. The report adds: "The Delhi Metro's Phase-I environmental and social benefits will help recover the full cost of this phase by 2013. The completion of Phase-I of the Delhi Metro Project covering 65 km has resulted in reduction in road accidents, improvement in road traffic conditions as also the environment." "If the social and economic benefits are quantified then the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has helped the city of Delhi in saving Rs. 1,167 crore already, which will increase to Rs. 2,072 crore by the end of 2007." The study highlights that since the Metro rail began operations in December 2002 there has been a progressive increase in the reduction in daily vehicle demand due to people shifting to the Metro rail for commuting. "Till 2006, the Metro rail has taken the share of 22,697 vehicles and this share is projected to increase approximately to 40,000 for all other modes of travel such as cars, buses, two wheelers and autorickshaws by the end of 2007. Correspondingly, 16.6 lakh vehicle km will be saved till 2007 and this is likely to result in a saving of various types such as maintenance cost of road vehicles by Rs. 218 crore, fuel saving worth Rs. 172 crore and saving in road maintenance cost of Rs. 288 crore," the report states. Pointing out that the Metro railway has resulted in reduced consumption of fuel containing hydrocarbons, the study claims this has resulted in emission savings of 2,275 tonnes. These saving are likely to go up to 3,968 tonnes by the end of this year.

"People in the city save 66 minutes every day on an average by travelling to and fro by the Metro rail, which has resulted in a saving of Rs. 415 crore up to 2006 as their earning capacity time increases," the study notes, adding that this figure is expected to increase to Rs. 725 crore by the end of this year. Published on :- Wednesday, Jun 06, 2007 Published By :- the hindu newspaper link:- http://www.hindu.com/2007/06/06/stories/2007060608720400.htm

Title :- Delhi Metro to Observe Safety Awareness Week

Delhi Metro will observe Safety Awareness Week for Elevators and Escalators from 1st to 7th January 2011. During this week, the commuters will be guided to have a safe ride while using escalators and elevators at Delhi Metro Stations. Presently, 368 elevators and 432 escalators have been installed at Delhi Metro stations. To provide greater awareness among commuters, station staff along with 80 volunteers of Scouts & Guides will be deputed at the stations and informative material will be distributed to the commuters during the Metro Safety Awareness Week. Published on :- January 03, 2011 Time:- 9:49 Link :http://www.sarkaritel.com/news_and_features/january2011/03metro_observe_safety_awareness_wee k.htm